Control mechanisms in a textile loom



1967 T. J. COLEMAN CONTROL MECHANISMS IN A TEXTILE LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 4, 1966 INVENTOR' THOMAS J. COLEMAN ATTORNEYS T. J. COLEMAN Dec. 26, 1967 CONTROL MECHANISMS IN A TEXTILE LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1966 v INVENTOR: THoMAs 3. COLEMAN ATTORNEYS 1 United States Patent 3,360,013 CONTROL MECHANHSMS IN A TEXTILE LOOM Thomas J. Coleman, Donalds, S.C., assignor to Riegel Textile Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 539,680 2 Claims. (Cl. 139224) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a centerfork textile loom having an automatic filling changer mechanism, a let ba-ck mechanism and a centerfork filling feeler mechanism adapted to detect a break in the filling yarn as it is inserted into the fabric during weaving, the improvement of control mechanisms operatively connected with the centerfork filling feeler mechanism, the filling changer mechanism and the let-back mechanism and being adapted to be actuated by the centerfork feeler mechanism upon the breakage of a filling yarn during weaving to actuate the filling changer mechanism and to actuate the let-back mechanism so that upon breakage of the filling yarn during weaving, the filling yarn supply will be automatically replenished and the fabric will be automatically let back allowing a new filling yarn to be laid in alongside the broken filling yarn without stopping Operation of the loom.

This invention relates to control mechanisms in a textile loom and more particularly to control mechanisms .which will operate upon breakage of a filling yarn to allow a new filling yarn to be laid in alongside the broken filling yarn without stopping operation of the loom.

The mechanisms of this invention are particularly adapted for use in a centerfork loom, such as the Draper Model X-3 commercially available from the Draper Corporation of Hopedale, Massachusetts. Centerfork looms of this type are widely used for preparing rough textured fabrics and soft-filled goods intended for use as diapers, towels and various types of napped products.

The centerfork itself is a sensitive feeler mounted adjacent to the path of travel of the shuttle which detects breaks in the filling yarn and norm-ally actuates a mechanism which stops off the loom when this occurs. In the use of conventional centerfo-rk looms, when the filling yarn breaks, the Weaver must not only remove and rethread the shuttle, but must also manually let-back the take-up mechanism to prevent formation of a thin place in the fabric. For fancy and hard-filled cloth, it is also necessary to manually pull out the broken pick to prevent formation of a thick place in the goods.

When weaving rough-textured and soft-filled materials, especially materials which are to be mapped, the usual practice is not to pull "out the broken yarn, but to leave it in and to allow a whole new yarn to be laid in alongside the broken one. This is possible since the rough texture and/or the napping operation will tend to obscure the presence of this extra broken yarn.

When weaving material in which heavy areas in the filling are permissible, as described above, it has been found that a considerable loss in operating time could be eliminated by providing fast-acting and reliable control mechanisms on the loom adapted to automatically actuate the letback mechanisms and the filling changer mechanisms when a break in the filling yarn occurs. By provision of such mechanisms, the work-load of the weaver would be significantly reduced and the Weaver could oversee the operation of an increased number of looms. Mechanisms of this type on the loom would, therefore, act not only to reduce operating costs by essentially eliminating down time of the loom when breaks in the filling yarns occur, but also by reducing the operating labor.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to 3,360,013 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 provide a textile loom, particularly a centerfork textile loom, with control mechanisms for detecting a broken filling yarn as it is inserted into the fabric during weaving of the fabric on the loom to automatically replenish the filling yarn supply for the loom and to automatically letback the fabric being woven by the loom allowing a new filling yarn to be laid in alongside the broken filling yarn without stopping operation of the loom.

It has been found by this invention that the above object may be accomplished by providing in a textile loom, the combination of .an automatic filling changer means adapted upon actuation to replenish the supply of filling yarn being utilized in the operation of the loom, a let-back means adapted upon actuation to permit the fabric to backup in the loom to the position occupied when the last filling yarn was inserted into the fabric, a broken filling detector means adapted to detect a broken filling yarn as it is inserted into the fabric during the weaving of the fabric on the loom, and control means operatively connected with said automatic filling changer means, said letback means and said broken filling detector means and being adapted to be actuated by said broken filling detector means upon breakage of a filling yarn during the weaving operation of the loom to .actuate said automatic filling changer means and to actuate said let-bck means so that upon breakage of a filling yarn during operation of the loom, the filling yarn supply will be automatically replenished and the fabric will be automatically let-back allowing a new filling yarn to be laid in alongside the broken filling yarn without stopping operation of the loom.

It is pointed out that while the control mechanisms of this invention have been referred to hereinbefore and will be specifically described hereinafter with reference to a centerfork loom the concepts involved herein are equally as well adapted to other types of looms.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a textile loom embodying the control mechanisms of this invention in which some of the conventional portions of the loom are shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view, Ibroken away, of the shuttle race of the loom of FIGURE 1 illustrating a centerfork feeler mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective View of a portion of the loom of FIGURE I particularly illustrating some of the mechanisms of this invention in their relative positions before a break in a filling yarn occurs; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the loom of FIGURE 1 particularly illustrating some of the mechanisms of this invention in their relative positions when a break in a filling yarn occurs.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a Draper Model X-3 textile loom, referred to above, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10. The conventional portions of the textile loom 10 which are not concerned with the mechanisms of this invention are shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 and are well understood to those of ordinary skill in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

The textile loom 10 includes an automatic filling changer mechanism, generally indicated at 11, mounted on the loom 10. The automatic filling changer mechanism 11 includes a bobbin filling feeler actuator mechanism, generally indicated at 12. The bobbin filling feeler actuator mechanism 12 comprises a filling feeler 13 and appropriate linkages 14, 15, 16, 17, etc., which connect the filling feeler 13 with the filling changer mechanism 11 to operate in a well-known manner to sense an empty bobbin in the shuttle of the loomto automatically actuate the filling changer mechanism to replenish the supply of filling yarn being utilized in the weaving operation of the loom. The operation of this automatic filling changer means is well known to those with ordinary skill in the art and therefore further details of the operation will not be given herein.

The textile loom 10 further includes a let-back mechanism, generally indicated at 20, which is adapted upon actuation to permit the fabric to backup in the loom to the position occupied when the last filling yarn was inserted into the fabric during the weaving operation of the loom. This let-back mechanism 20 includes a let-back ratchet wheel 21, which is connected by suitable gearing to the conventional take-up roll of the loom, and a pawl 22 which when engaged with the teeth on the ratchet wheel 21 prevents backup of the fabric in the loom. The pawl 22 advances one tooth on the ratchet wheel 21 for each insertion of a filling yarn or for each pick during the weaving operation of the loom. Upon act-nation of the let-back mechanism 20, the pawl 22 is disengaged from the ratchet wheel 21 allowing the normal tension on the warp to back the woven fabric up in the loom one tooth on the ratchet wheel or to the position occupied when the last filling yarn was inserted into the fabric. As may be seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the pawl 22 is pivotally mounted on the loom frame by an arm 23.

The textile loom 10 further includes a centerfork filling feeler mechanism, generally indicated at 30, which is adapted to detect a break in a filling yarn as it is inserted into the fabric during weaving of the fabric on the loom. The centerfork filling feeler mechanism 30 includes a centerfork feeler 31 pivotally mounted on the lay of the loom and received in a recess in the shuttle race of the loom. An oscillating rod 32 is slidably carried in brackets 33 and 34 and in the centerfork feeler 31 and is adapted to be oscillated back and forth in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGURE 2. The rod 32 makes one complete oscillation during each pick or insertion of a filling yarn during the weaving operation of the loom.

The centerfork feeler mechanism 30 further includes a cam device including a cam base 38 fixedly mounted on the rod 32 to oscillate therewith and having mounted thereon a centerfork cam 35 and a centerfork crankshaft stop 36. The centerfork feeler 31 also includes a curved centerfork crankshaft 37 adapted to be engaged by the cam 35 during an oscillation of the rod 32 to raise the centerfork feeler 31 to a position above the shuttle race of the loom so that the shuttle may pass thereunder and the filling yarn being inserted into the fabric will hold the centerfork feeler 31 in a position above the cam race when it is not broken.

When the centerfork feeler 31 is held in this position by a filling yarn, the stop 36 will pass under the centerfork crankshaft 37 allowing th rod 32 to make a complete oscillation to the right, as viewed in FIGURE 2. However, if the filling yarn being inserted into the fabric is broken, the centerfork feeler 31 will drop again into the recess .in the shuttle race causing the centerfork crankshaft 37 to engage the stop 36 preventing the rod 32 from oscillating to the right, as viewed in FIGURE 2. This action will hold the end of the rod 32 to the left of the bracket 33, as viewed in FIGURE 2, to be engaged by mechanisms to be described hereinafter.

The textile loom 10 further includes control mechanisms, generally indicated at 40, which are operatively connected with the centerfork feeler mechanism 30, the bobbin filling feeler actuator mechanism 12 and the letback mechanism 20 so as to be adapted to be actuated by the centerfork feeler mechanism 30 upon breakage of a filling yarn during the weaving operation of the loom to in turn actuate the bobbin filling feeler actuator mechanism 12 for actuating the automatic filling changer mechanism 11 and to actuate the let-back mechanism 20 so that upon breakage of a filling yarn during the weaving operation of the 10 m, the filling yarn supply will be automatically replenished and the fabric will be automatically let-back allowing a new filling yarn to be laid in alongside the broken filling yarn without stopping operation of the loom.

The control mechanisms 40 comprise a bunter member 41 extending in a horizontal direction in close proximity to the end of the rod 32 extending to the left of the bracket 33, as viewed in FIGURE 2. The hunter 41 is connected through a shaft 42 to a reversing link 43 which is in turn connected through a tripping lever connecting arm 44 to a tripping lever pivot bolt and sleeve 45 mounted on the loom 10. The tripping lever bolt and sleeve 45 is in turn connected to a tripping lever 46 which in turn hooks around a lifting lever connecting rod clamp and hook 47 attached to the rod 14.

The reversing link 43 also has connected thereto a hold-back pawl lifting rod 50 connected thereto by a stud and collar arrangement 51 on one end thereof. The other end of the hold-back pawl lifting rod 50 is connected to the hold-back pawl 22 by a hold-back link 52.

As may be seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, if the centerfork filling feeler 30 is not supported by a filling yarn, such as when a break in the filling yarn occurs, the centerfork filling feeler 31 will drop into the recess in the shuttle race causing the crankshaft 37 to engage the stop 36 to prevent the rod 32 from making an oscillation to the right, as viewed in FIGURE 2. This causes the end of the rod 32 beyond the bracket 33 to remain in that position to engage the hunter 41 on a forward movement of the lay of the loom. When that portion of the rod 32 engages the bunter 41, the reversing link 43 will swing in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGURE 4 to in turn move the members 44-, 45, 46 and 47 in the direction of the arrows shown in FIGURE 4 which will cause an actuating movement of the rod 14 to automatically actuate the filling change mechanism 11.

This movement of the reversing link 43 will also lift the hold-back pawl lifting rod 50 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGURE 4 to lift the let-back pawl 22 from the ratchet wheel 21 allowing the tension in the warp to let-back the fabric and allow a new filling yarn to be laid alongside the broken filling yarn without stopping of the loom. It is obvious that on the next pick or the next insertion of a filling yarn into the fabric being woven on the loom, the centerfortk filling feeler 30 will be raised by action of the cam 35 so that the motion of the above-described control mechanisms will be returned to normal position for continuing operation of the loom.

By the above, it may be seen that this invention provides control mechanisms in a textile loom, particularly a centerfork textile loom, for detecting a broken filling yarn as it is inserted into the fabric during weaving of the fabric on the loom to automatically replenish the filling yarn supply for the loom and automatically let-back the fabric being woven by the loom allowing a new filling yarn to be laid in alongside the broken filling yarn with out stopping operation of the loom.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a centerfork textile loom having a lay, an automatic filling changer mechanism adapted to replenish the supply of filling yarn being utilized in the weaving operation of the loom, a let-back mechanism adapted upon actuation to permit the fabric to back up in the loom to the position occupied when the last filling yarn was inserted into the fabric, and a centerfork mechanism adapted to detect a break in a filling yarn as it is inserted into the fabric during weaving of the fabric on the loom including a filling fork feeler means pivotally mounted on and approximately at the center of said lay and adapted to assume a first position when the filling yarn being inserted into the fabric is not broken and adapted to assume a second position when the filling yarn being inserted into the fabric is broken and an oscillating rod means mounted on said lay and operatively associated with said filling fork feeler means and adapted to make a complete oscillation when said filling fork feeler means is in said first position and adapted to make an incomplete oscillation when said filling fork feeler means is in said second position; the improvement of control mechanisms operatively connected with said centerfork mechanism, said filling changer mechanism and said let-back mechanism and being responsive to an incomplete oscillation of said oscillating rod means to be actuated thereby upon the breakage of a filling yarn during the Weaving operation of the loom to actuate said automatic filling changer mechanism and to actuate said let-back mechanism so that upon breakage of a filling yarn during the weaving operation of the loom, the filling yarn supply will be automatically replenished and the fabric will be automatically let back allowing a new filling yarn to be laid in alongside the broken filling yarn without stopping operation of the loom.

2. In a centerfork textile loom, as set forth in claim 1, in which said filling changer mechanism includes a bobbin filling feeler actuator means adapted to actuate said filling changer mechanism when the supply of filling yarn is exhausted, and in which said control mechanisms comprise a movable bunter member mounted on said loom and being responsive to and adapted to be moved by said oscillating rod means during an incomplete oscillation thereof when a broken filling yarn is detected by said filling fork feeler means, a movable reversing link con-' nected to said bunter member and being responsive to and adapted to be moved upon movement of said hunter member, and means connecting said reversing link to and adapted to actuate said bobbin filling feeler actuator means and said let-back mechanism upon movement of said reversing link.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. JAMES KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CENTERFORK TEXTILE LOOM HAVING A LAY, AN AUTOMATIC FILLING CHANGER MECHANISM ADAPTED TO REPLENISH THE SUPPLY OF FILLING YARN BEING UTILIZED IN THE WEAVING OPEARTION OF THE LOOM, A LET-BACK MECHANISM ADAPTED UPON ACTUATION TO PERMIT THE FABRIC TO BACK UP IN THE LOOM TO THE POSITION OCCUPIED WHEN THE LAST FILLING YARN WAS INSERTED INTO THE FABRIC, AND A CENTERFORK MECHANISM ADAPTED TO DETECT A BREAK IN A FILLING YARN AS IT IS INSERTED INTO THE FABRIC DURING WEAVING OF THE FABRIC ON THE LOOM INCLUDING A FILLING FORK FEELER MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON AND APPROXIMATELY AT THE CENTER OF SAID LAY AND ADAPTED TO ASSUME A FIRST POSITION WHEN THE FILLING YARN BEING INSERTED INTO THE FABRIC IS NOT BROKEN AND ADAPTED TO ASSUME A SECOND POSITION WHEN THE FILLING YARN BEING INSERTED INTO THE FABRIC IS BROKEN AND AN OSCILLATING ROD MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID LAY AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FILLING FORK FEELER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO MAKE A COMPLETE OSCILLATION WHEN SAID FILLING FORK FEELER MEANS IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION AND ADAPTED TO MAKE AN INCOMPLETE OSCILLATION WHEN SAID FILLING FORK FEELER MEANS IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION; THE IMPROVEMENT OF CONTROL MECHANISMS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID CENTERFORK MECHANISM, SAID FILLING CHANGER MECHANISM AND SAID LET-BACK MECHANISM AND BEING RESPONSIVE TO AN INCOMPLETE OSCILLATION OF SAID OSCILLATING ROD MEANS TO BE ACTUATED THEREBY UPON THE BREAKAGE OF A FILLING YARN DURING THE WEAVING OPERATION OF THE LOOM ACTUATE SAID AUTOMATIC FILLING CHANGER MECHANISM AND TO ACTUATE SAID LET-BACK MECHANISM SO THAT UPON BREAKAGE OF A FILLING YARN DURING THE WEAVING OPERATION OF THE LOOM, THE FILLING YARN SUPPLY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REPLENISHED AND THE FABRIC WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY LET BACK ALLOWING A NEW FILLING YARN TO BE LAID IN ALONGSIDE THE BROKEN FILLING YARN WITHOUT STOPPING OPERATION OF THE LOOM, 